eShop til you drop

Nintendo has confirmed that digital revenue across its consoles has tripled in the past two years.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata revealed the statistic at the recent investor's briefing, explaining that during the financial period between April 2013 and March 2014, around 24 billion Yen ($235 million / £138 million) was generated from downloads on the 3DS and Wii U.

Iwata believes that the rise was down to more Nintendo fans connecting their systems to the internet, and the ability to download major retail releases directly to the Wii U and 3DS.

The graph below was used to illustrate the massive jump in digital earnings.

Source: Nintendo

Iwata's take on the news is positive, with the Nintendo boss pointing out that the increase has come at a time when the company's business hasn't been growing all that much:

When we consider that we have made this progress while Nintendo's overall business has not generally been expanding, I think further developing this business will be imperative for us to adapt to the changes in the business environment.

The news also suggests that Nintendo's future — like that of much of the games industry — lies in digital downloads rather than physical releases.

Have you embraced digital downloads on Nintendo consoles? How much do you estimate you've spent on eShop games in the past year? Let us know by posting a comment below.